Teaching Writing to Low Socio-Economic Students With Learning Disabilities and Autism Spectrum Disorder

Abstract

Writing well is conditioned on having a cognitive system that performs executive functions well. Executive functions include organizing, planning, goal-setting, self-monitoring, and self-assessing. Unfortunately, people with learning disabilities (LD) and/or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) do not perform these executive functions well; therefore, they do not write at a proficient level. In addition, students from low socio-economic status (SES) also do not perform these executive functions well; therefore, they do not write at a proficient level. The ecobiodevelopmental (EBD) framework is the structure for this chapter. Within this framework, the writing traits of students with LD and ASD are described, as is the impact poverty has on students' cognitive learning systems. Different ways to teach writing are presented at the end of the chapter. These different writing strategies are shown to support the cognitive learning systems and executive functioning of low SES students who have LD and/or ASD.